With the Sierra de la Borja backdrop to the west, views of Angel de la Guarda island to the east, and the jutting Punta la Gringa to the north, Bahia de los Angeles, Baja California, is (without a doubt) one of Mexico’s best hidden beaches.
Oh, and did we mention that it’s in a bay full of whale sharks, turquoise water, centuries-old cactuses, and white sand beaches? Baja California doesn’t get much better than this!
This guide to Bahia de los Angeles covers everything you need to know before you go, including how to get there, when to visit, where to stay, what to pack, and the best things to do.
- About Bahia de los Angeles, Mexico
- Where is Bahia de los Angeles?
- How to Get to Bahia de los Angeles
- Do I Need a Visa to Visit Mexico?
- Using Money in Mexico
- Best Time to Visit
- Is Bahia de los Angeles Safe?
- Is There Cell Service in Bahia de los Angeles?
- What to Pack
- Bahia de los Angeles Hotels & Camping
- Where to Restock on Fuel, Food and Water
- 8 Best Things to Do in Bahia de Los Angeles
- The Complete Guide to Bahia de los Angeles
- More Places to Visit in Baja California
We link to products and services we think are useful for our readers. We may earn a commission for purchases made through some of these links. There’s no extra cost for you and it helps support our work. We really appreciate your support!
About Bahia de los Angeles, Mexico
Bahia de los Angeles, Mexico, is a tiny town on the west coast of the Gulf of California that’s so far off the beaten path that it doesn’t even have cell phone service. The town just got electricity in 2007 and there are no banks or ATMs.
But what it lacks in infrastructure, it makes up for tenfold in natural beauty.
The Bahia de los Angeles Biosphere Reserve was established by the Mexican government in 2007 to protect the natural beauty and extraordinary ecosystem of the region.
The reserve includes part of the coast where 5 species of sea turtles lay their eggs, the Canal de las Ballenas, Channel of the Whales, where whale sharks and fin whales live, and 16 islands that are home to sea lions.
The largest island, Angel de la Guarda on the eastern horizon, and the rest of the uninhabited archipelago are also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site chain of islands in the Sea of Cortez.
🇲🇽 Visiting Mexico? Check out these 60 Best Mexico Travel Tips (a Mexican’s best advice)!
Where is Bahia de los Angeles?
Known by English-speaking tourists as Bahia, BOLA, Bay of LA, Los Angeles Bay, or LA Bay, Bahia de los Angeles is a bay on the western coast of the Sea of Cortez (also known as the Gulf of California) of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula.
Along the shore lies a small semi off-grid town which goes by the same name of Bahía de los Ángeles (Bay of the Angels). It’s a home to some restaurants, a handful of hotels, small grocery stores, a museum, and boat tour operators.
How to Get to Bahia de los Angeles
The closest international airport is Tijuana International Airport (TIJ). Find a cheap flight to Tijuana and book a Mexican rental car.
We recommend using DiscoverCars for the best car rental deals. With them, you get no hidden fees, 24/7 customer support, and free cancellations.
The drive from Tijuana to Bahia de los Angeles is about 10 hours south on Mexico’s Highway 1. Highway 1 and the side road to Bahia de los Angeles are paved and safe to drive.
If you’re driving your own car across the closest border at Calexico/Mexicali, then it’s about an 8 hour drive south of Calexico, California via Mexico’s recently fully paved Highway 5. It’s easiest to cross the US/Mexico border by car at the Mexicali East border crossing.
Important: You need to voluntarily stop at the border crossing to get your Mexican tourist permit and passport stamp to enter Mexico legally.
After crossing, follow Google Map’s directions to get out of Mexicali and onto the highway. Consider staying a night in San Felipe or stopping for a dip in the Puertecitos hot springs, before continuing south. Eventually you will see the well-marked, left-hand turn to the paved road that leads directly to Bahia de los Angeles just south of a dry lake bed called Laguna Chapala.
Check out our 8 Must-Read Tips for Visiting Baja, Mexico for more helpful info. You can also read our article on Baja California Safety for more expert advice.
Mexican Auto Insurance
Many people visit Bahia de los Angeles, Baja California by driving their own cars and campers to Mexico as part of a Baja California road trip.
We drive to Mexico often, including camping in Baja California for several months at a time in places like Todos Santos and Loreto.
Yes, you can easily drive an American or Canadian car in Baja! Unlike the rest of Mexico, you do not need a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) for driving your car within the Baja Peninsula or the free zone of Sonora.
However, you do need mandatory Mexican car insurance to drive an American or Canadian car in Mexico. It’s required by law and must be purchased to drive legally in Mexico.
We recommend using Baja Bound for Mexican auto insurance coverage. Read this article on mandatory Mexican auto insurance for everything you need to know before buying. Get a free quote here >
Do I Need a Visa to Visit Mexico?
If you’re a US or Canadian citizen, you do not need a visa to visit Mexico. However, you do need a Mexican tourist permit (FMM) and a valid passport.
Using Money in Mexico
The national currency in Mexico is the Mexican Peso (MXN). Check the current exchange rates here. It’s best to have some pesos on hand, but US dollars are commonly accepted in touristy areas, especially as payment for tours and hotel rooms.
Check out our Top Tips on Using Money in Mexico for more helpful info.
Bahia de los Angeles is so small that it does not have an ATM or bank in town. Many places are cash only, so come prepared with all the cash you need for activities, restaurants, and accommodations.
We were told Mercado La Isla will give you cash back if you pay with a card. Luckily, we didn’t have to test it, but please let us know in the comments if you’ve succeeded in getting cash back from them.
Best Time to Visit
Due to its desert climate, the weather in Bahia de los Angeles is usually on the warmer side. December through February are the coldest months, with an average high of 69°F (20°C) and low of 52°F (11°C) in January. With a high of 97°F (36°C), the hottest month is August.
Winter months are busy with foreign tourists heading to Baja California to escape the snow, while Mexican tourists prefer to visit in the spring.
The best time to visit Bahia de los Angeles is September because of the warm water, comfortably warm climate, and whale shark season. The whale sharks are only in the Bay of LA when the water is warmest during the months of July through early November.
Is Bahia de los Angeles Safe?
Bahia de los Angeles is generally considered safe to visit. It’s a laidback town with about 1,000 friendly locals and many part-time foreign residents.
Of course, you don’t want to think about everything that can go wrong, but accidents do happen.
Considering travel insurance for your trip?
World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world.
Is There Cell Service in Bahia de los Angeles?
Nope. Zero. There’s no cell service in Bahia de los Angeles, Baja California, but several of the mini-markets offer satellite wifi a fee of about $20 pesos ($1 USD) an hour. Some of the hotels and campgrounds also have satellite internet available.
What to Pack
The Bay of LA is a very relaxed, small town without much tourist infrastructure. You won’t need to pack much more than casual beach wear and sun protection for your trip.
Here are some Bahia de los Angeles packing essentials:
Reef-safe sunscreen: Please, please, please don’t use “regular” chemical sunscreen when going into any natural water source! The chemicals are kill coral, and are toxic to animals and plants. We only use mineral SPF because it’s much safer for the environment and our skin. This one is our favorite because it doesn’t burn when it gets into our eyes and rubs in easily.
Travel towel: This towel absorbs 4x its weight in water and packs down into its travel bag. It wrings out practically dry and has a secure hanging loop so it won’t fly away when the Baja winter wind hits.
UPF shirt: These shirts are the best for Baja sun protection! They are made from lightweight UPF materials (basically SPF for clothing) and have flaps for airflow that helps you stay cool.
Inflatable kayak: A watercraft of some sort is key for getting out there to explore the islands scattered off shore. We love this budget inflatable kayak that comes with its own pump and oars. We’ve used it plenty of times on the Sea of Cortez and even reached some of the islands in Bahia Concepcion. Inflatable stand up paddle boards are also a popular choice down here.
Wide-brim hat: It’s the classic Baja Hat. A super wide-brim, straw hat that protects your shoulders and upper back from the sun. Plus, it dries quickly when it gets wet.
Snorkel and mask set: Definitely buy this BEFORE you head into Mexico. Adult snorkel sets are hard to find down here unless you’re in a major city’s dive shop. It’s tempting to buy a cheap set or a full-face mask, but don’t. You’ll have a much better snorkel experience if you invest in a quality snorkel and mask set like this one. Otherwise, water can and will get into your mask and snorkel and that’s never fun and dangerous for beginners. We use this spray to prevent fog from building up on the inside of the mask.
Mexico guidebook: More of an intro to Mexico and its culture than a directory of attractions and accommodations, but if you really want to explore Mexico and immerse yourself in the culture, you need this book to figure out how things work (or don’t) around here. The People’s Guide to Mexico is the classic guide to “living, traveling, and taking things as they come” in Mexico.
Baja travel guide: A Baja guidebook with detailed maps and plenty of listings for places to stay, where to eat, and top attractions throughout the Baja California peninsula.
Travel Insurance: Of course, you don’t want to think about everything that can go wrong, but accidents do happen. Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world.
View our complete Baja Camping Gear List on Amazon.
Bahia de los Angeles Hotels & Camping
The accommodations in Bahia de los Angeles range from campgrounds to small hotels. Both are located along the beach north of town and in the center of town.
The town itself is next to the water, but it’s more of a port and not as nice as the beaches to the north and south. The good thing about staying in town is that the small grocery stores, restaurants, and bars are all within walking distance and you can just take day trips to the nicer beaches.
If you stay along the beach, you have limited access to services and you have to take trips to town for any necessities.
It’s up to you, but we prefer staying on the beautiful beaches and stocking up on food and water when we go to town.
Hotels in Bahia de los Angeles
Hotel Costa del Sol: A popular hotel in town that has delicious tacos and margaritas at the onsite restaurant. It’s near the stores and restaurants, and it’s a short walk away from the beach in town.
Los Vientos Hotel: The nicest hotel in the area. It’s located north of town on a long, sandy beach right on the Sea of Cortez. It has wifi, secure parking, sea view rooms, a restaurant, a bar, and a pool. The hotel also has kayaks for rent and onsite whale watching and fishing tours by boat.
Vacation Rentals
There are only a handful of vacation rentals in Bahia de los Angeles.
Campo Archelón: Several beach cabins for rent with kitchen, hammock, and outdoor seating area for $80 to $150 USD. They accept reservations and take credit cards.
Bahia de los Angeles Camping
The camping in Bahia de los Angeles is everything that Baja California camping dreams are made of! You can camp right on the shore, have a campfire on the beach, and fall asleep to the sound of the gentle waves.
Campo Archelón: Our favorite campground in Bahia de los Angeles. It’s pretty popular in the winter, but if you’re lucky enough – or make a reservation – you can get one of the campsites with stone-walled palapas that shield you from the Baja sun and afternoon wind for $160 pesos, or $8 USD (as of November 2022), for two people. Camping on the beach front sand lot is $120 pesos, or $6 USD, for two people.
Amenities at the former sea turtle research center include flushing toilets, hot showers, fast satellite wifi, and an onsite restaurant with local craft beer and wine from Valle de Guadalupe (Baja’s wine country) that accepts card payments. We love that it’s locally owned and operated by a family of marine biologists.
Daggett’s Beach Camping: A sport fishing hub with pangas for rent, a restaurant, rooms ($1,200 pesos for two people, or $60 USD) and campsites with palapas ($200 pesos per person, or $10 USD).
Playa la Gringa: The best beach for dispersed camping, or boondocking, in Bahia de los Angeles. It’s an isolated beach north of town, a few miles up a 2WD accessible dirt road that ends at an estuary with a rocky point. There are no facilities, but you can camp for free on the sand and rocks on the southern side of the point before the estuary. Do not drive onto or camp on the beach on the northern side or in the protected estuary (there are signs saying it’s prohibited). Sometimes locals come by and collect trash for a fee.
Where to Restock on Fuel, Food and Water
Mercado La Isla is the one-stop shop for food and water in Bahia de los Angeles. It’s a small grocery store with the largest variety of fresh produce, shelf-stable goods, deli meats and cheese, and liquor in town. They accept cards, have wifi for a fee, and a self-service purified water fill for $15 pesos a garrafon (a 20 liter water jug that’s commonly used for water in Mexico).
There are two gas stations in Bahia de los Angeles, but you should fill up before you get here because they’ve been known to run out of fuel.
8 Best Things to Do in Bahia de Los Angeles
1. Enjoy a morning on the bay
Bring your own inflatable kayak or SUP to go for a morning paddle on the bay before the afternoon winds pick up. Snorkeling is another great activity to do while the water is calm.
2. Hike to the top of Punta la Gringa
Punta la Gringa is a rocky point that’s nearly entirely surrounded by water at the end of Playa la Gringa. Put some hiking shoes on (to protect your feet from the cactus) and take the trail up for some epic views of the bay.
3. Relax on the beach
There are plenty of pristine beaches to choose from in Bay of LA. The most popular Bahia de los Angeles beaches are Playa La Gringa to the north of town and Playa La Mona to the south.
4. Visit the nature museum
If you’re in town, visit the small, yet educational, Museo de Naturaleza y Cultura, Museum of Nature and Culture. It’s has information on the natural and cultural heritage of the region, ranging from historical artifacts to over 500 species of shells. The museum is open Monday to Sunday from 9 am to 12 pm and closed from August to September. The entry fee is donation based.
5. Swim with whale sharks
Swimming with whale sharks is one of the most popular things to do in Bahia de los Angeles. During whale shark season (typically July through November), you can hire a tour boat and snorkel with the world’s biggest fish. The cost is generally around $200 USD for up to 6 people.
If you’re off-season for whale sharks, you can hire a boat to see the fin whales instead. Fin whales are the second largest whales in the sea!
6. See the Punta Arenas lighthouse
Take a sunset walk to see the picturesque faro, lighthouse, along the sand spit with the town harbor on one side and the open bay on the other. There’s an estuary that’s excellent for birdwatching.
7. Take an off-roading trip to San Borja Mission
If you have a 4×4 high clearance vehicle, take the scenic drive out to see the Misión San Francisco Borja de Adac (San Borja Mission). The caretakers give guided tours of the mission and tours of nearby rock art. Make the side trip out to Valle Montevideo to see the pre-hispanic rock paintings.
8. Scuba dive in the Sea of Cortez
Ricardo’s Diving Tours (Tel: +52 200-124-9264) has diving boat tours to Isla Coronado and tours to see the whale shark and sea lion colonies off of the islands.
➡️ Looking for the top things to do in Baja? Check out the Best Baja Tours!
The Complete Guide to Bahia de los Angeles
We hope this guide to Bahia de los Angeles helps you plan your trip and enjoy these pristine Mexican beaches.
We did our best to include everything you need to know to visit this hidden gem in Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, but please let us know in the comments below if you have any extra tips we should add in.
More Places to Visit in Baja California
Looking for more things to do in Baja California? Check out all our Baja Peninsula articles and these:
- 12 Fun Things to Do in Tijuana
- Classic Baja California Road Trip: 10-Day Itinerary
- How to Go Gray Whale Watching in Baja
- 9 Amazing Things to Do in San Felipe
Have you visited Bahia de los Angeles? Let us know in the comments below.
Save this post for later on Pinterest!
Right after the road, HWY 1, was paved in ’72 we used to drive with our campers and boats and spend a week in Bahia de Los Angeles every year. There were from 3 to 6 families. We’d have at least one meal @ Mama Diaz’s which usually included turtle soup. We fished, explored with our dirt bikes and did beach stuff with our kids. We spent about 8 years there. Fun times.
Sounds like a great time, Alex!. Thanks for sharing this look back in time. I can only imagine how much it’s changed since then. Kristina and her family have been traveling the peninsula for decades as well, and I’ve been lucky enough to listen to their stories of their travels, including some where HWY 1 is called the “new” road. My first visit wasn’t until much more recently, and I can only imagine what it will look like 50 years from now.
One thing is certain: there’s still plenty of remote land, boating, and general exploring to be had all over the peninsula. And even though Bahia de Los Angeles has likely grown substantially since then, it remains fairly isolated and undeveloped. The fact that there is a large dispersed camping area within 30 minutes of town is a testament to that.
My best friend, me and his older brother, a professor at San Diego State, followed the hand drawn maps from, “Gulick’s Guide to Baja California” to begin our quest. We left from San Diego in the spring of 1963 on our adventure to Bahia de los Angelos. Our 1960 VW bus was loaded with food, water, spares and had a 12 foot motorboat tied to the top. “Roads, who needs roads?” The entire journey consisted of sliding around in arroyos, white knuckled sliding along rocky edges of mountains and chasing that boat down hillsides as it broke it’s mooring from the Bus. Best memory: eating giant sea bass tacos (Tutuava) on the beach with some locals and sharing tequila!
Hi Joe! That sounds like an epic adventure! Glad you made some wonderful Baja memories! Thanks for sharing them.
I visited the rock paintings at Montevideo in 1974. The last time I returned, in 2019, the arroyo leading out to the site from the road to San Borja was fenced and posted with ‘no trespassing’ signage. Is it possible to get access and permission to visit this site through INAH or someone in Bahia de Los Angeles? Who do you suggest contacting for such permission? If Papa Diaz were still with us, I’m sure he’d be able to help, but sadly he has long since passed. Thank you, in advance, for you help with this query. Peter
Hi Peter, It’s amazing how many rock paintings are hidden throughout Baja. We tried to investigate this particular site, but unfortunately, it seems the information is quite limited. Sometimes they close access to historical points for preservation, especially if no one can adequately monitor the area. Other times, they might allow access if you obtain permission first, and possibly hire a local guide.
As they’re a more local organization, contacting the Bahía de los Ángeles Museum might get you going in the right direction. Even if they don’t know the specifics, they might be able to point you toward someone who does. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to find a phone number for them, so you might need to call around to local hotels for that information or visit in person.
Also, we have had success contacting INAH directly for unique questions like this. Of course, stopping by in person is always best, but you can try to give them a call as well. There is a main Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia (INAH) office in Ensenada, which might be a good place to try. Its phone number is listed as +52-646-178-2531.
If that doesn’t work, you could try other INAH offices throughout Baja, such as the one in Mulege, La Paz, or the small office in San Ignacio.
Be prepared to get the run around a little bit as you’ll probably have to ask around for someone with knowledge about this particular area. But I hope you can find the information you’re looking for! Best of luck, Michael
I passed through Bahia de Los Angeles on February 16, 2022 and as far as I could tell, the information in this article is accurate.
Hi David, thank you so much for confirming everything is accurate. We really appreciate it!
would like to know when this information was relevant obviously not feb 12 2022
Hi James! We were just in Bahia de los Angeles a couple of months ago and the information is accurate as of then, but please let us know if there’s any information that needs to be updated and we will happily do so. Thanks!